Uber taxi quote in snowy Birmingham 'outrageous'
- Published
Parts of the West Midlands have seen heavy snowfall
A hospital anaesthetist has slammed a taxi firm that quoted her up to 拢149 for a 10-mile trip to work in the snow.
Dr Daman Mullhi told the she tried Uber's taxi app when she was unable to get a car off the drive in Harborne to go to Solihull.
Dr Mullhi said on Twitter the quote of 拢111 to 拢149 was "outrageous and unethical" and she chose to go with a local firm who charged 拢30.
Uber said the price had been an "automatic" response to over demand.
Dr Mullhi was among many people hailing a taxi in Birmingham, as the city was among many areas hit by heavy snowfall on Sunday, causing disruption to roads and public transport.
An Uber spokeswoman said the app used "dynamic pricing" which meant fares automatically increased when the demand for cars in a specific area was greater than the cars available.
"Bad weather meant there were many people looking to book a car but fewer cars on the road, which caused prices to automatically rise," she said.
She added the higher fare encouraged more Uber drivers to come into the area so more cars were available.
"Users always see a fare estimate in advance so they have the choice to book a car, share the trip with others or wait until fares decrease," she said.